Smiling Mom

School is back in session and many of our kids are ending yet another summer of fun and relaxation.

In my ten years of teaching, I’ve encountered many children who could have benefited from some basic household routines.  As a result I’ve compiled a list of healthy habits & routines that help make the transition from summer to school much smoother.

1.  Bedtime, bedtime, bedtime.
Your child’s body, age 12 and under, on average requires 10-11 hours of sleep per night.  Every night.  If you have a teenager, they generally require 8 1/2 hours to 9 1/2 hours of nightly sleep.

Why is this information important?  It’s simple.   Kids perform better, are able to focus more, and have better days when they are fully rested.

…sleep deprivation adds up over time, so an hour less per night is like a full night without sleep by the end of the week. Among other things, sleep deprivation can lead to:

• decreased attentiveness
• decreased short-term memory
• inconsistent performance
• delayed response time

2.  Eat a healthy breakfast each morning.

Make sure that your child’s breakfast consists of high-fiber and nutrient-rich whole grains, fruits, and dairy products.    Limit the amount of highly refined sugars and carbohydrates your child eats each morning.  More sugar in the morning equals a less focused student.

Evidence from the report suggests that eating breakfast may improve cognitive function related to memory, test grades, and school attendance.

Eating breakfast, a healthy breakfast, is important.  VERY important!

3.  Pack a healthy snack.

Around 5 1/2 hours passes between the time a child eats breakfast to time lunch is served.  That’s a long time to ask one of our students to be without food, calm and on task.

Remember to pack a healthy snack each and every day.

Not cookies or sugary, prepackaged foods. But healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables, cheese, or dried fruits & nuts.

4. Routine, routine, routine!!

Create a routine your child can count on for the after-school hours.  Have a special spot for homework completion and make clear how much rest time your child has prior to beginning homework.  Have a set dinnertime and bedtime.

Having a family routine can create a sense of security.  When a child feels safe and secure at home, he/she always performs better at school.

Good luck and have a wonderful school year!!

Original Silicon Valley Moms Blog post.

So last night I had one of those Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad parent/child exchanges. BC and I just couldn’t seem to work things out. It was an emotionally grueling exchange which left us both sobbing and exhausted. It made me doubt my skills as a mom. Did I do the right thing? Should I have handled it differently? I’m not sure. But did I do the best I could? Yes.

Thankfully when BC woke up this morning, he came running out of his room, smile on face, straight into my arms. Thank goodness children are so very resilient.

Hopefully BC’s getting close to the end of this new defiance phase and all can go back to normal in our house.

I wrote about our exchange over at SVMB today.

Hi Ladies,

I did it.  I went to my esthetician and got microdermabrasion done, and wrote about it.  Head over to SVMB to check it out.

I am a public school teacher and I work in one of strongest academic districts in the Bay Area. The school I teach at routinely ranks in the top five in California. It’s that good!

My school is also a ‘choice’ school, meaning that it is students come from all over the school district. You have to choose to send your kids there. Therefore school admission is based on a lottery. When a child’s number is called a parent almost always pulls their child out of their current private or public school to enter ours.

I know what great teaching is all about. I’ve seen both sides, the good school environment and the bad.

This is the best.

So why am I fretting about school?

Simple. I don’t live in the school district in which I teach.

Teachers can’t afford to buy a house there.

I have two children. My oldest will enter kindergarten a year from September and he cannot go to the my school.

Kinda stinks, doesn’t it?

Often one of the benefits that many school districts offer their teachers is automatic admission for their children. On top of it being very convenient for us, it also ensures the district that we teachers stay put for the duration of our children’s schooling careers. Teacher retention is quite a problem in Silicon Valley. It’s a win win.

But since my school is a choice school, my own children don’t even have an option of attending.

So I fret.

I’ve seen great. I teach at great. I want great for my kids.

The school district in which I live is alright. It’s neither great nor bad. My kids will probably do fine while attending school in this district. But then I think, Is alright good enough for my children?

No.

My husband and I have discussed private education, moving, public schools, private schools again…. But truth be told, two public servants living in Silicon Valley simply cannot afford a mortgage and one private school tuition, let alone two tuitions as my daughter enters school.

So we’re stuck. Private school costs too much, while public school just might not be great enough.

When it comes down to it, I’m just as confused as the next mom trying to do her best by her kids.

Any suggestions?

Originally posted at Silicon Valley Moms Blog